International Barbershop Quartet Convention

By: © Nelson Taylor 2008

Festival Location: Kansas City, MO, USA

Festival State: Missouri Festivals

Festival Type(s): Varied Music Festivals, Bizarre Festivals

Against all odds, barbershopping is back. In 809 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, their organization, The Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America, is almost 35,000 members strong. That's right, an army of sing-songy men with close-cropped beards, wearing styrofoam hats and candy-striped jackets. While this annual 4th of July event takes place in Kansas City this year, coming years will be held in Nashville, TN and Portland, OR.

What to expect if you go? Well, a whole hell of a lot of singing, of course, impromptu harmonies in line for the urinal, on street corners in town and on stage, where 50 quartets and 25 choruses compete every year. There are also plenty of other shows, plus workshops, seminars and clinics. If you're lucky, honorary member Dick Van Dyke will show up with his quartet to do several numbers. But event organizer Reed Sampson says, "The most wonderful thing you will witness is the diversity of our members, men or all ages from 9 - 90, occupations and ethnic origins, the common thread being the love of four-part, a cappella singing." Just mention of songs like "Coney Island Baby," "Sweet Adeline" and "Heart of my Heart" to a barbershopper and he'll weep tears of joy. Admission price is $85 for adults and $42.50 for children under twelve.